Mr. Sotos Liasides, Ambassador of Cyprus to Egypt, experienced on of the most moving moments in his lengthy diplomatic career, when on the evening of Tuesday 3rd February he received the greatest honorary distinction of the missionary Patriarchate of Alexandria, the Supreme Commander of the Apostle and Evangelist Mark, from the hands of the Primate of the Second Throne Patriarchate of Orthodoxy, Theodoros II.
“In your person, I honour the people of our martyred Cyprus, and its efforts for a just solution to our national problem”, said Patriarch Theodoros, addressing the representative of the Republic of Cyprus to the land of the Nile, in the presence of his wife Mrs. Stephanie Liasides, the patriarchal Vicar of Alexandria and Metropolitan of Leontopolis, His Eminence Gabriel, His Grace Meletios Bishop of Naukratis, the Consul General of Greece in Alexandria Mr. Christos Kapodistrias and representatives of the Cypriot Brotherhood of Alexandria.
“We welcome Cyprus, which at this particular time is uniting its strengths with Greece and Egypt in a common effort for the good of the people of these countries”, said the Alexandrian Primate among other things, personally thanking the Cypriot Ambassador for all the efforts he expended on the upgrading and strengthening of the fraternal relations between Egypt and Cyprus, but even more, for his support of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and Greeks abroad.
Indeed, the Patriarch of Alexandria asked the Cypriot Ambassador to remain at the side of the Orthodox Church of Africa, especially now that an even stronger presence is beginning with the creation of the Exarchate in Cyprus, near Nicosia, with the continuous assistance and support of the Cypriot Government, for which the Patriarch asked Mr. Liasides to convey his prayers and Patriarchal thanks to the Preseident of Cyprus, Mr. Nikos Anastasiades.
On his behalf, the Ambassador of Cyprus to Egypt, Mr. Liasides, receiving the highest medal of the Church of the Throne of the Saint and Apostle Mark, did not hide his great emotion, describing it as the greatest honour he had ever received, despite having served in important posts to date, such as Australia and Ireland (as Ambassador), Thessaloniki (as Consul General), as well as in Germany and Syria.
For this reason he thanked him warmly and stressed that he will be at the side of the Patriarchate from whatever post he will be placed in the future.
Note that the Cypriot Ambassador Mr. Liasides completed almost three and a half years as head of the diplomatic mission in the Land of the Nile, starting on 23 August 2011.
The Cypriot Ambassador’s mission in Egypt ends on 1st March 2015, and he will then return to one of the most key positions of the Central Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cyprus, taking on one of the four central directorates.
N. Katsikas
